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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23372632">Strangers at War</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JohnGalt/pseuds/JohnGalt'>JohnGalt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:09:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>851</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23372632</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JohnGalt/pseuds/JohnGalt</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Strangers at War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>      Block 37 is a bustling shopping mall in downtown Chicago. Filled with people enjoying a lazy, fun afternoon. On the third floor of the mall is a small Rejuve shop where people can stop in and relax. Even nap.<br/>
      In the corner of the store a small hum starts. Followed by a loud sucking CLAP. As scented candles and bedding flew through the air a swirling purple hole appeared. The few customers stood transfixed as the hole gave a sharp pop and a figure poured out. At least 7 feet tall it looked like nothing so much as a silhouette of a person. Made of blue fire and black shadow with glowing violet eyes. Everyone took an instinctive step back. The figure stretched and twisted as if limbering up after being too cramped for too long. It growled and in a single leap covered the twelve feet separating it from the nearest customer. As she turned to run it buried its hand in her hair and it's face in her throat. As the woman dropped to the floor her head hung at a boneless, grotesque angle.<br/>
      The room was filled with screams and customers rushing the door. The shadow followed with an unnatural silent speed. All the windows blew out into the atrium as the shadow disregarded the door and jumped straight out onto the railing. It fell, vanishing into the floors below. The room, in shambles, became quiet as the atrium began to erupt in screams.</p><p>     The first responders were there within moments. Five CPD officers ran into the mall, guns drawn. The shadow stood in the wreckage of a Sunglass Hut Kiosk. As it noticed the approaching men it dropped the leg of a small child from its maw. It had grown at least a foot in height. It smiled.<br/>
       "Freeze!!" The officer ordered. Yet somehow it came out more of a question. The figure flowed toward them without steps. The officers opened fire and the air filled with screams.</p><p>       Back in the Rejuve store there was another clap. Softer.<br/>
       A young woman appeared. With short, blond hair and tan skin, she looked like she'd stepped straight off a California beach. Other than the strange outfit and the enormous pack strapped to her back. Her eyes darted. She stood half crouching, ready. And her hands hovered over the two large white hilts on her side.<br/>
       "⠠⠐⠱⠀⠙⠊⠙ ⠭ ⠛⠦" Her voice carried with a strange accent. The owner's head poked up from behind the counter. Before he could think to say anything the woman's head turned to the obvious destruction that used to be the storefront. She broke into a trot as she ran towards the distant and vanishing screams. She didn't hesitate or even break stride as she easily hopped the railing. The large backpack hindering her not at all.</p><p>     SWAT took 12 minutes to get there. By that time the mall was almost empty and the streets were clogged with bystanders. Sergeant Gomez led twelve men into the building.<br/>
       In the center of the mall they found the large dark figure walking along the wall raking his hand through the glass. Reveling in the destruction. Occasionally taking time to pick up pieces of debris and fling them at the glass fronts opposite. The SWAT team spread out and tried to sneak up on it. Taking cover as well as they could. The shadow turned to face them. His eyes velvet holes.  Suddenly it was on one of them without occupying the intervening space. His rib cage blossomed into a red fountain. Shots rang out, but most hesitated as the creature was now in the midst of them. All the bullets fired hit. With no effect save small dark ripples.<br/>
        There was a scream. "⠠⠠⠝⠕⠖⠖⠖" As the shadow grabbed another man by the chest a pale blue shape formed around them both. The monster sailed through the Sears and off into the distance, the second SWAT member still in it's grasp.<br/>
         As the young woman ran up the SWAT team turned shocked faces toward her. Their raised guns unmistakable, she raised her hands palms out "⠠⠱⠁⠞  ⠗⠑⠁⠇⠍  ⠊⠎  ⠹⠂ ⠱⠁⠞  ⠸⠺⠦" All the officers look to sergeant Gomez, uncertain, there eyes still wild with incomprehension. Half still had their guns trained on the hole in the side of the Sears.<br/>
       Gomez lowered his weapon but didn't drop it. "Who are you? What's going on? And what the hell is that thing?" The woman's head tilted slightly in puzzlement. Her eyes darted toward the hole. Distant crunching sounds and the sudden influx of fresh air and sunlight meant the creature had left the building. Loose.<br/>
        She turned back to the sergeant. She slowly approached, palm out. As someone would slowly approach a dangerous strange dog. As his gun lifted back up her eyebrows lifted in an unmistakable question. Her hand slowly crept toward his face.<br/>
       Her thumb made a small circle on his forehead. There was a small hint of light as she whispered "⠠⠔⠋⠔⠊⠞⠁⠍ ⠠⠎⠻⠍⠕⠝⠊⠎" and then brought the small hint of light to her tongue.<br/>

"There," She said. Her voice soaked in the strangest accent. "Can you understand me now?"</p>
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